Matching an RV's weight to your tow vehicle

A trailer that's within your truck's towing number can still overload the truck. That's because the weight pushing down on the hitch counts against payload. Here's a straightforward way to check before you buy.

Step 1: Get the truck's numbers

You need four numbers:

• GVWR (the truck's maximum loaded weight)
• rear GAWR (the rear axle's maximum load)
• payload
• maximum trailer weight

The first two are on the driver's door sticker. The rest are in the owner's manual or the maker's towing guide. Our sister site has a full walkthrough on reading a truck's towing sticker.

Step 2: Get the trailer's numbers

Forest River defines the trailer terms this way:

• GVWR is the maximum weight fully loaded.
• UVW is the weight as built, including LP but no cargo, water or dealer accessories.
• CCC is GVWR minus UVW.

Every Forest River unit is weighed at the factory and labelled. Use the label on the actual trailer.

Step 3: Plan on the loaded weight

Water alone weighs 8.3 lb per gallon, per Forest River. Add food, gear, batteries and anything the dealer installs, and the trailer moves quickly from UVW toward GVWR. The cautious approach is to check your truck against the trailer's GVWR.

Step 4: Estimate the real hitch weight

Chevrolet Canada's 2026 Trailering Guide puts typical tongue weight at 10 to 15 per cent of loaded trailer weight for a conventional hitch, and 15 to 25 per cent for a fifth wheel. Compare that with the brochure figure, using Forest River's published weights:

Trailer	Published hitch weight	GVWR (UVW + CCC)	10 to 15 per cent of GVWR
Forest River Evo 178BHS	570 lb	5,670 lb	about 567 to 851 lb
Forest River Wildcat 249RKX	712 lb	9,512 lb	about 951 to 1,427 lb
Forest River Wildcat 278RLX	828 lb	11,028 lb	about 1,103 to 1,654 lb

The GVWRs for the 249RKX and 278RLX are our sums of Forest River's published UVW and CCC (6,632 + 2,880 lb and 8,036 + 2,992 lb). The ranges are our arithmetic and only an estimate. A scale gives you the real number.

Step 5: Add up the truck's load

Add together:

• everyone riding in the truck
• the cargo in the cab and box
• the hitch itself
• your estimated loaded hitch weight

That total has to fit within the truck's payload. The load on the rear axle has to stay within the rear GAWR. Alberta's RV Towing Guide makes the same point: each trailer "will transfer weight to the towing unit (hitch weight). Take this into consideration when determining the GVWR and GAWR."

Step 6: Check the legal basics

• Brakes. Alberta's towing guide sets out when a trailer needs its own brakes, based on its weight and how it compares to the tow vehicle's. It also sets stopping-distance standards for the whole combination.
• Attachment. You need two separate means of attachment, such as the hitch plus safety chains. Fifth wheels are exempt from the second.
• Hitch rating. Alberta's guide says fifth-wheel mounts and ball receiver hitches must be rated for the load.

Step 7: Weigh it

Once you're loaded for a real trip, cross a certified scale. Weigh the whole combination first, then the truck alone. That tells you your actual trailer weight and hitch weight, and whether you have room to spare.